A review meeting on Friday was informed that nearly 10,000 shopkeepers have joined the Asan Tax Scheme within a month of its launch, with exactly 9,806 registrations recorded so far.
Asan Tax Scheme brings nearly 10,000 shopkeepers into tax net
ISLAMABAD, Sep 25 (APP): A review meeting on Friday was informed that nearly 10,000 shopkeepers have joined the Asan Tax Scheme within a month of its launch, with exactly 9,806 registrations recorded so far.
Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani chaired the meeting, which reviewed implementation of the scheme and discussed concerns raised by shopkeepers.
Officials said 1,929 of the registered shopkeepers were entering the tax system for the first time, while 428 had already filed their tax returns. Shopkeepers from both small and major cities were among those filing returns.
The minister directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to immediately address technical objections raised by shopkeepers and lawyers regarding implementation of the scheme and provide FBR plates at the earliest to those who had filed their returns.
“The Asan Tax Scheme is a unique facility designed specifically for shopkeepers and not available to any other business segment,” he said, urging more shopkeepers to join the scheme.
The meeting decided to maintain daily contact between traders and FBR officials to facilitate implementation and further strengthen engagement with tax bars and lawyers.
Officials also briefed the meeting on an Urdu-language information booklet issued to guide shopkeepers on the new scheme, the previous return-filing procedure and applicable penalties after the deadline.
They said penalties would be imposed on those failing to pay taxes under the Asan Tax Scheme or through the regular procedure after the deadline, with Rs10,000 in the first month, Rs25,000 in the second and Rs50,000 in the third month.
Trader representatives assured the meeting of their cooperation, saying the scheme was a positive initiative but awareness among shopkeepers would take some time to develop.
The meeting was attended by trader leaders Ajmal Baloch and Kashif Chaudhry, Member Strategic Transformation Dr Hamid Atiq, Member Inland Revenue Operations, Zubair Bilal and senior FBR officials.
Chief commissioners and commissioners from across the country participated through video link.
